Luck of the Draw
by The Emcee
Summary: Wirt thought his life was over when he had his first heat. Omegas weren't exactly celebrated in today's society, not like they had been. But his luck just keeps getting worse and worse. It would figure, wouldn't it? Incest. Yaoi. Omegaverse. Mpreg. Abuse. Complete. MA for sexual content.


Title: Luck of the Draw

Author: The Emcee

Pairing: Greg/Wirt (in that order)

Rating: M (for sexual content among other things)

Summary: Wirt thought his life was over when he had his first heat. Omegas weren't exactly celebrated in today's society, not like they had been. But his luck just keeps getting worse and worse. It would figure, wouldn't it?

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or the fandom

A/N: First off, I've kind of changed Wirt and Greg's ages. There's only two years separating them in this fic, so I figured that OtGW happened when Wirt was like eleven or twelve and Greg was nine of ten. Second, this fic is set in omegaverse, which means heats and mpreg. Third, it's incest, or rather half incest since Greg has a different dad and they're only half-brothers. This story isn't beta read, so if you see any mistakes, please let me know. Also, no hate; you've all been warned and if you don't like any of this, then click the back button. It's not that hard. If you do continue reading it, please feel free to leave a comment in the towel section down below. R&R. Enjoy!

 **~…~**

 **Luck of the Draw**

 **~…~**

Oh, no.

Oh, no.

Oh, no, no, no, no.

This could not be happening.

It would be just his luck, wouldn't it?

He didn't know what he had done to deserve this, didn't know if he was just cursed, but never before had something so bad happened to him. Not even nearly getting Greg and himself killed compared to this. With his hands grasping his hair, the strands twisting around his fingers which pulled them hard and taut, Wirt tried to steady his breathing and calm down.

He failed, of course.

His chest rose and fell and for a second he thought of how grateful he was that he didn't have asthma. If he had, he'd be having an attack right now and that would just be icing on the cake. Wirt released a groan that sounded more like a sob, though the tears had yet to fall, but they were coming. He could feel them, just as he could feel his entire body trembling, his quivering fingers pulling even harder on his abused hair.

Wirt was tempted to curl up in a ball and just cry all of his despair, sorrow, and frustration in a loud and frightful wail. But he didn't; he couldn't. Aside from the fact that he had to leave for school in about ten, fifteen minutes, his body felt too hot, too sweaty for him to curl in on himself. It didn't help that his body was doing other things...

With wide eyes, Wirt looked down at his legs, trembling like everything else, and tried not to think. He had to calm down. He _needed_ to calm down. If he didn't put himself back together again, he'd be in for even more hell than what he was going through right now. It was almost time for school, he wasn't even ready, and he hadn't even been down for breakfast. Unless he got a move on, his mom would come and check on him and if she found him as he was, she'd tell George and that was a fate worse than death.

Breathe.

One, two, three, exhale.

Inhale.

One, two, three, exhale.

Breathe.

Just…breathe.

One, two, three.

Breathe.

Calm down.

Everything would be fine.

No one had to know.

Just calm down.

Just get up.

Get moving.

Get ready.

Go to school.

Go to the nurse.

She would help.

She would know what to do.

But first, just…calm down.

Wirt was focusing too hard on his breaths, too hard on trying to get himself back in control of, well, himself, that he didn't hear his mom calling his name. Didn't hear her footsteps on the stairs. Didn't hear her opening the door to his bedroom. He did, however, hear her gasp.

"Wirt? Wirt, what's wrong? Did something happen? What's –"

Wirt flinched. He knew that she knew. Without even seeing her face, he knew. His mom sniffed twice. Paused. Then sniffed a third time. Tension began to coil in the air like a snake preparing itself to strike. Closing his eyes, scrunching them tightly, Wirt envisioned just how everything would go down.

His mom would make him stay home from school. She would call George, her husband, Greg's father, and tell him the horrible, shameful news: that Wirt was an omega. Not an alpha, not even a beta, but an omega. The first in the family, too; George's line having only had alphas or betas while his mom's was mostly betas, with an alpha thrown in every couple of generations.

His body shook even more, something he didn't believe was even possible, and his breathing exercise had stopped working, not that it had been all that effective to begin with. When George got home, he would drop his briefcase and storm upstairs, Wirt's mom behind him to bear witness, to provide a silent, yet effective message: she stood by her husband no matter what. That was how she had been since they had gotten married and Wirt didn't see why this incident, one of many when it came to him, would be different.

George would yell at him, tell Wirt, as he had many times, that this was his fault, that he had done something wrong or stupid or both to bring this upon himself. That he couldn't even manage to be a beta; no, he had hit the lowest peg on the totem pole. He would tell Wirt that he had smeared their family's name with such a low status and that he wouldn't get anywhere in life. And that, after all he had done for him, taken him under his wing after his father had walked out, provided food and shelter for him, even allowed him to remain under his roof after his idiocy almost killed Greg, he couldn't even manage to do one measly thing right.

And while Wirt knew that it hadn't been his decision, that it was a fate left up to chance, that wouldn't make things any better. The truth was that George always knew what to say to get to him, to keep him down even on his good days, and try as he might, Wirt couldn't escape. Not that he had anywhere else to go. His father had been long gone from his life entirely for over ten years and at sixteen, Wirt was in no position to go off on his own, not that he'd be allowed to. Not unless George kicked him out.

"Oh, Wirt," he heard his mother say. She sounded defeated, tired, hopeless and he cringed, unable to stop himself.

"I'll call George," she said. "We'll have to have a family meeting…"

Family meeting, just another phrase for George yelling and degrading him even though Wirt tried his best. Even though there were factors in life that no one could control. Wirt just wanted to disappear. He'd give anything, absolutely anything, to just disappear, to cease to exist, to just…stop.

"Mom? Mom? I was wonde-" Greg's voice cut through the dark cloud threatening to overtake Wirt like a knife through butter.

He looked up and saw his younger brother, now fourteen, enter his room. Greg still maintained some of his boyish looks and his optimism, but he was almost as tall as Wirt. And he was bulker, unlike Wirt, who was as skinny as a bean pole. It was clear to Wirt that Greg would take after George physically: being tall and muscular.

Their relationship had improved tremendously since their near fatal drowning. Wirt no longer saw Greg as the annoyance that was the family's Golden Boy, but instead saw him as the best brother anyone could ever hope to have and was his best friend. As much as Wirt loved Greg, though, he didn't want to see him like this. He didn't want Greg to see him sweaty, shaking, miserable, and in heat. He didn't want Greg to see their mother looking disappointed at him yet again and hearing her tut and sigh at something Wirt had no control over. And he didn't want Greg to smell him.

Greg would be an alpha, Wirt knew that already. How could he not be when he had taken after his dad so much? And as low as a status that omega was, Wirt didn't want anything to happen should Greg smell him. Not that anything would and not that he wanted it to. Just the mere thought of it, however, of an alpha was doing weird things to Wirt's body, things he so did not want happening, and he fought the urge to shake and beat his head with his fists.

"Mom? Wirt? Is something going on?" Greg asked. He sniffed. "And what's that smell?"

"Greg, you have to finish getting ready for school. Now hurry up and go," their mom said and Wirt's stomach twisted at the faint note of panic in her voice, almost as though she thought Wirt was diseased and that he'd give it to Greg.

Greg frowned and looked at Wirt, who could only meet his gaze for a second or two before he looked down and covered his face with his hands. Oh, when did he start crying?

"Wirt's crying. Why is he crying?" Greg asked, sounding concerned and defensive at the same time. How the tables had turned; somehow, without Wirt realizing it until just now, Greg had become just as protective, if not more so, of him as he was of Greg. It would have made him laugh had the situation not been so awful.

"I'll explain it to you later, but go! If you miss the bus, I'm going to have to take you and I can't be late for work again this week," their mom replied, this time ushering Greg out urgently. Wirt watched as her feet turned to face him once more.

"I'll call George once I'm at work," she told him. How had he known?

"He'll talk to you as soon as he gets home." Right, because talking involved yelling and shouting.

"We'll have to…get you those…suppressants, I suppose," she continued, saying the word 'suppressants' as one might say 'cockroach' or 'spider', with disgust and repulsion.

"But for today, you're staying home." Lest his peers know of his shame. It wasn't all bad, though; he wouldn't be harassed by the alphas at school or teased for that matter.

"Thank goodness it's only one day a month," his mom mumbled as she left his room, closing the door behind her.

Groaning miserably, Wirt brought his knees up to his chest and hid his face. He dreaded when George would get home and rake him across the coves. It didn't help that this was his first heat and he had no idea what to expect, not really. Books only told so much and there was a big difference between reading something off a page and experiencing it first-hand. Wirt already felt hot and sweaty. His skin felt wet and slick and his pajamas were clinging to his body uncomfortably.

Not only that, but his body was starting to produce lubrication and his mind was starting to cloud over. He was hyper aware of every move he made, every twitch of his fingers, every shiver that shot throughout his body. Every time he shifted, moved, a spark of something foreign shot up his spine, making him tingle all over. It caused a longing for someone to touch him and part of him didn't care who touched him so long as they could stop the tingling. While not unpleasant, it made his cheeks flush and made his manhood pulse and twitch.

"Wirt? Are you okay?" Wirt's head shot up at Greg's voice, eyes wide and face red.

His brother was silently edging into the room, careful not to make any noise. Greg looked worried, his eyes clouded and brow furrowed as he took in the sight of Wirt. A frown was on his face which looked out of place; it wasn't very often that Greg frowned. Normally, he was just as happy-go-lucky as he had been when he was a little kid.

"I-I-I'm f-fine, Greg," Wirt managed to get out, his voice cracking as he spoke.

Greg approached him, his movements sure, never wavering, never faltering, not a single doubt in his mind. Wirt wanted to cower away from him, not wanting to be touched in the state he was in, yet he found he couldn't move. And as Greg pulled him into a hug, he found himself leaning into his touch, closing his eyes even, finally feel some sense of peace since he waking up earlier this morning.

"Mom shouldn't be upset at you. It's not your fault," Greg said matter-of-factly.

It surprised Wirt to hear him say that, especially in such a manner. Greg didn't usually go against their mom or George. Not that he ever needed to; George had always held his own son in higher regard than Wirt. He didn't blame Greg for any of it, not anymore anyway. Actually, if it hadn't been for Greg, Wirt was positive his life would be far, far worse.

"Try telling her that. Or your dad," Wirt mumbled. He felt Greg pet his hair and it felt so nice that he couldn't help but snuggle just a bit closer, for once being glad that Greg was almost as tall as he was and had far more muscle mass.

"Greg! The bus will be here any minute!" their mom called up the stairs. Greg still didn't let Wirt go and although he knew that he should release him, Wirt couldn't help but cling to him loosely.

"Don't worry. I won't let anything bad happen to you, Wirt. I promise," Greg said, his voice full of conviction and determination, but also love. It never ceased to amaze Wirt that Greg has loved him unconditionally ever since he was born regardless of what's happened between them.

"Thanks, Greg," was all Wirt could say.

All too soon, Greg was letting go, albeit reluctantly, and leaving his room to go to school. Wirt heard the bus pull up in front of their house, heard Greg call good-bye to their mom and heard the bus drive off. A minute later, he heard his mom's car pull out of the driveway, signaling that he was alone in the house.

With only his heat and the impending doom of a massive parental blowout later that evening to keep him company, Wirt curled into a ball and waited.

 **~…~**

To say that George had blown a gasket that night would be a gross understatement.

As soon as he came home, he threw his briefcase down and stormed upstairs, Wirt's mom as his heels, her voice silent, her face set and determined. George damn near broke his bedroom door, he kicked it so hard. He hadn't even said a word but Wirt had cowered in fear, his body visibly shaking, his face still red. From between the gap his arms made, Wirt could see George's nostrils flare and his pupils dilate; he wasn't used to there being an omega in his household yet and the pheromones Wirt was exuding were affecting him.

"You," George seethed at him. His expression would have made even the most cold-blooded murderer cry in fear.

Wirt was no better off. Tears that had been welling up since before George even pulled into the drive way spilled over and down his cheeks. George was taller than him, but he seemed even more imposing since Wirt was on the bed. As he began yelling and cursing at Wirt, at his inability to achieve anything, at his uselessness, at the fact that he was a complete and utter failure, Wirt wished that his mom would step in, say something, anything, to make him stop.

She didn't, though.

She just stood there, letting George have his way.

Just like always.

Wirt hadn't even realized it was over until he felt arms wrap around him. Vaguely, he recalled Greg's voice soothing him, calming him down, telling him it would be alright and that Mom had left his suppressants on his desk. Not that they'd be any use until his next heat.

Had it not been for Greg, Wirt didn't know if he would have made it through that night. But Greg took care of him, just like he had been since they were younger. Because Greg had always been better at taking care of him than he was at taking care of Greg. That was just how they were.

For once, he had never been so grateful for his younger brother.

 **~…~**

His heats became better. With the suppressants, he was able to go to school, be around others, and he didn't get as hot or as sweaty. Granted, he would still get warm, very warm, and the suppressants didn't stop his body from self-lubricating, they just lessened it.

George hadn't been all that kind to him before his first heat, but afterwards, he had been worse, much worse. Every time he saw Wirt, he would scowl and glare at him and his comparisons between him and Greg were worse than before. The closer it got to his heat day, the more George would berate and degrade him. Saying things, small things, things that other people would probably shrug off their shoulders easily, that could ruin even the best mood.

School wasn't much better. Once word got out that Wirt was an omega, and it got out and about very fast, his peers made even more fun of him than usual. Not only was he the weird, clarinet playing, poetry writing loser, but now he was the weird, clarinet playing, poetry writing _omega_. He didn't think he could sink lower in status, but being an omega put him below the lowest level.

The worst days were his heat days. Then, people either avoided him like the plague or watched his every move. Alphas making up most of the latter. His suppressants, though very effective, didn't completely stifle his scent and some of his classmates looked at him as though he were something delicious to devour. Of course, most of them covered it up with harsh insults and jibes, wanting to save face in front of their friends.

Worst of all, though, was Sara.

Wirt and Sara had been dating for a while. She was a beta, but unlike his mom she didn't follow behind any alpha or anything like that. Sara made her own decisions, stood up for her friends, did everything Wirt's mom seemed to not do. Yet, it wasn't meant to be, the thing between them. It had been coming before his first heat and things had just been awkward, so incredibly awkward, after. They were still friends and Sara would stick up for him when things got too bad and he couldn't handle it anymore.

That didn't mean things were the same. Naturally, things between Sara and him were different. Things between Wirt and the rest of his friends were different too. Omegas were rare and not really in need since betas could have children as well. They were the bottom of the barrel and the only special thing about them was their scent, which was often described as 'exotic' and 'addictive'. Aside from Wirt, there were only about five other omegas in town. Statistics revealed that there were about one million omegas in the world, give or take; with an overall population of over seven billion, that number didn't seem very impressive, did it?

Wirt didn't think so.

Being rare, considered pretty much useless by almost everyone, and being harassed by his step father, Wirt was willing to trade anything to change what he was.

However, that wasn't going to happen. He was what he was and that was the end of it. That didn't mean he had to like it.

Eventually, Wirt managed to get a better hold on things. George still treated him unsavory, which was something that would never change, and he was still made fun of at school, but he had learned to cope. He delved more into his poetry, read, kept to himself, and tried not to draw attention, something that was made difficult on his heat days.

Life eventually stabilized, became normal again. Or rather, as normal as it could be.

Through all of it, Greg had been there to keep him company, to cheer him up whenever he needed it, to encourage him on his best days and keep his spirits high, and wiped his tears when they fell. Greg became so much more than his younger brother. He became his best friend, his companion, and his protector. They would always walk together in the halls at school, even though they went to separate classrooms, and they had lunch together, so that made things better. When someone would say something, if Sara didn't say anything, Greg would, in that nice-stern manner he had. It never failed to make Wirt smile, even laugh a bit.

He was grateful for Greg, though. So very grateful. Greg made everything bearable again and that was a Godsend.

 **~…~**

Wirt was eighteen, a senior in high school, when Greg, sixteen, entered his first rut as an alpha.

That didn't surprise him. To some, Greg didn't seem like an alpha, but he was. He took charge of situations, he was willing to make sacrifices and do what needed to be done, and he was a natural leader; in other words, the exact opposite of Wirt. Physically, he was tall like George, taller than Wirt, and muscular. Although he wasn't on any sports teams, much to the chagrin of the coaches, he would make use of the weight room during gym class, even had a pass to the local town gym that he only went to a handful of times a month. So, he had muscle but he wasn't overly muscled; Greg was just right.

Anyway, it didn't surprise Wirt that Greg was an alpha. He had the scent of one even before he turned sixteen. It made Wirt a bit uncomfortable during his heats, but it wasn't unpleasant. Just weird.

George and their mom were both so very proud of Greg. They had another alpha in the family and he more than made up for their disappointing omega. Before school, their mom gushed all over him, tears streaming down her face, and said that she'd call George and pick up a cake on her way home. Wirt wasn't angry or jealous like he had been when he was younger because Greg deserved the praise and attention. But he was sad. It would have made everything so different if their mom and George had reacted differently when his first heat hit, but they hadn't.

It didn't help that Greg's eyes seemed to be watching Wirt's every movement. Feeling those familiar eyes on him did funny things to him, made him feel funny things, things he wasn't sure he wanted to feel. Couple that with the sadness welling up in his chest and Wirt was pretty miserable on their way to school.

What certainly didn't help was that he was seated next to Greg on the bus. The other teenagers on the bus could immediately tell that Greg was an alpha and they mixed their congratulatory remarks with their taunts directed towards Wirt. However, Greg shot them all a look that ceased most of the chatter and an uncomfortable silence fell upon the bus for the rest of the ride to school.

"Don't worry about them, Wirt," Greg told him, sitting close beside him, closer than usual. Why was Wirt so suddenly aware of how little space there was between them?

"They just don't look at things the way we do, the bunch of dopes," Greg continued, sounding both like himself but also different somehow, carefree and innocent but with an edge, a change, a difference.

Wirt could only nod, not trusting himself to speak. He was feeling a bit hot, which wasn't entirely weird. His heat day was the day after tomorrow and he had often felt hot and sweaty a few days before, but he didn't like that it felt more intense somehow than usual. Perhaps it was because of Greg? That wouldn't make a lot of sense since Wirt had been around alphas before his heat, during his heat, and afterwards. Maybe it was different because it was Greg? Who knew?

All Wirt did know was that he was hot, that it was uncomfortable, that Greg smelled good, and that his mere presence was comforting, even more so than usual. It was nice and it made him feel safe.

Greg always made him feel safe. Even though he was younger than Wirt, he had always had a way to make the elder feel safe. Yes, Greg could be childish, oblivious, gullible, and far too optimistic at times, but that was just how he was, who he was, and Wirt absolutely loved that about him. Besides, Greg could be serious when he needed to be and was actually pretty smart. Overall, the kind of guy who would do well in life without even trying, because that was just how things were laid out for him.

When the bus pulled into the parking lot and everyone got up, Greg got out and let Wirt out, following closely down the aisle. Part of Wirt was thankful for his brother doing that for him since it prevented the others from getting too close to him, from touching him. Not that he had been touched since coming out as an omega. However, it also confused him because Greg was acting like an, well, like an alpha. And not just some average Joe alpha, but like _his_ alpha, like Wirt belonged to him and him alone.

That was probably just Wirt's mind blowing things way out of proportion. Admittedly, he did have a habit of doing that, so surely that was what it was. Greg was just worried about him and wanted to keep him safe. Yes, that seemed far more likely than the possibility that Greg wanted him in _that_ __way.

Just thinking that made Wirt's gut twist unpleasantly. Mentally, he shook his head. What was wrong with him? Why did he feel disappointed at the mere possibility that Greg didn't want him, especially in that way? He wasn't supposed to feel like this! Seriously, what in the world was wrong with him? Maybe it was the fact that he was about to go into heat and that he was feeling feverish, hot and sweaty. That was it for sure. It made perfect sense, and given that he had never had a reason to be relaxed and calm about his heats, the slight paranoia he was experiencing was perfectly normal.

"Wirt? Hey, Wirt?!" Greg's voice broke him out of his internal babbling and he jumped. Looking up, he saw that Greg wore a worried expression on his face and that made him feel bad.

"S-sorry, Greg. I…got lost in my train of thought," Wirt replied, adding an obviously nervous chuckle at the end. Greg stared at him for a moment.

"If you need anything, just let me know, okay?" Greg said at last.

"O-okay…?" Wirt said, once again feeling confused.

"Great! I'll see you after first period," Greg said and stepped inside his classroom.

Frowning, Wirt made his way to his own first period class, just across the hall and down a few doors. Some of the things that Greg was saying and doing…they just didn't make sense to him. He was acting as though he had claimed Wirt as his, which he hadn't, nor would he ever. They were brothers after all.

Besides, and this was the option that was more than likely, it was probably just Wirt's mind again. He was reading too much into Greg's words and actions instead of just taking them as they should be taken: at face value. Odds were Greg was just worried about him. And he probably was; Greg had always been concerned with whether or not Wirt was having a good time or not, if he was okay, had always worried about making sure Wirt relaxed and calmed down when he needed to even if at the time it hadn't seemed as though that was what he was doing.

It was natural for Greg to worry about him. They were brothers after all.

If that were the case, then why did Wirt still not feel convinced?

"Hey, Wirt," Sara greeted him as he sat down in his seat just before the morning bell rang.

"Oh, hey, Sara," he said. She stared at him hard and long as the morning announcements played over the PDA system. He was aware of her gaze the entire time and it made him fidget in his seat.

"Wirt…um…" Sara began. Chewed her bottom lip uncertainly. Stopped. Then turned back to him, face set, and began again.

"Have you been with someone?" she asked him, her question turning his face beet red and he swallowed a lump in his throat.

"Wh-wh-what makes you say tha-that?" Wirt choked out, coughing a little bit.

"Because you…you, um…smell…taken," she explained. Just then, the announcements ended and class began.

All throughout class, all Wirt could concentrate on was Sara's words. He smelled _taken_. As in claimed. By an alpha. That wasn't possible though. Wirt had never had sex with an alpha; he had never had sex with anybody! In fact, he had only kissed Sara a dozen times, literally, while they had been together and that was it. Nothing else.

Wirt just didn't have it in him to make the first move. It wasn't in him, it wasn't who he was. At least, not when it came to that. His inexperience was palpable, even laughable, and it made him nauseated just thinking about it. So, how in the world did he smell taken? How could that be?

Great. Fantastic. Just what he needed: more to worry about.

 **~…~**

Saturday hit him hard first thing in the morning. It was his heat day and Wirt groaned loudly, sounding more like a porn star than a senior in high school, as he woke up. His entire body was on fire, a deep, steady pool of lava was lurking in his stomach, twisting and turning with him every time he moved. Wirt felt drenched with sweat; his pajamas were soaked clean through. What was worse was that his body was producing more lubricant than ever before. This was even worse than his very first heat.

Why was it like that, though? What was so different about this heat than the many others he's had in the past two years? Wirt had even taken his suppressants on time as usual, thankful that they lasted twenty-four hours, just long enough. Yet it appeared that they weren't working like they usually did. But _why_?

Panting, Wirt turned onto his side, preparing to reach out for the glass of water he always kept on his bedside table, but stopped. Just moving like that had caused tremors of unexpected pleasure to ripple throughout his body and he moaned. Loudly. For a brief moment, he was thankful his mom and George were away for the weekend. His already red face darkened even more and Wirt buried his face in his sheet. Every small move he made caused waves of pleasure to course through his body, but why? Why? WHY?!

The floor boards outside of his bedroom door creaked.

Quietly, the knob was turned and the door opened.

Standing in the doorway was Greg, his eyes wide, his pupils dilated, and his nostrils flaring as he took in Wirt's scent. Wirt managed to lift his head just so to see him and he groaned softly. Greg, dressed in a white tank and his boxers, looked so darn good to him right then and there. All he wanted was to reach out and touch him. Something inside of him compelled him to do so, urged him on, told him that if he did he would stop feeling so suffocated and stifled and hot.

He could clearly see the tent in Greg's boxers and what it implied didn't disappoint. His body trembled as he felt Greg's mere presence reach him, pass over him, around him, and engulf him. Though it was a comforting presence, it was also different. Sparked with something Wirt didn't have much experience with, but it made him feel good. It was arousing and it made him moan. Never before had an alpha's mere presence done this to him and never had an alpha's presence felt so wonderful. Granted, Greg always seemed to be the exception to the rule.

"Wirt…" Greg said, his voice sounding rough, strained, and he stepped into the room, closing the bedroom door and locking it.

Now, Wirt was stuck in his room with his brother, his very arousing alpha brother while he was in heat. Just watching Greg move towards his bed made delicious, addictive shivers crawl tantalizingly down his spine and all over his body, embracing him much in the same way as Greg's presence. The closer Greg got, the more Wirt found himself thinking less and less and just going on what his body was doing, what his instincts were telling him.

His feelings of worry and apprehension dwindled down to nothing as he thought of Greg's scent that was invading his nostrils. Why hadn't he realized before now just how good Greg smelled, even better than ever before? All he wanted to do was reach out and touch Greg, cling to him like a second skin, and soak up that intoxicating smell and the very presence his brother exuded. But something was stopping him from doing just that.

Closing his eyes, Wirt rolled onto his back, inhaling sharply as a spark of arousal shot through his body. His slick essence leaked from his entrance and it made him feel odd, a good odd but odd nonetheless. Soft pants passed through his parted lips and Wirt tried to think, to clear his mind, to focus, but he couldn't. All of his thoughts revolved around how hot, sweaty, and sticky his body felt and Greg. Always Greg. How Greg could make this entire situation better, if only Wirt would let him…

And then, Greg was there, staring down at him. His eyes were clouded with the same haze of lust and desire that Wirt felt, and a brief flash of guilt surged through him. He hadn't thought about how this severely intense heat was affecting his brother. Wirt wanted to apologize and reassure Greg that he was fine, his heat was just really, really bad this time around for some reason, but words failed him. The way Greg was looking at him, as though Wirt were the most precious thing in the world and that his hands itched to touch him, possess him in any way he could, was doing funny things to him. Inside of his chest, Wirt's heart thundered, feeling as though it were on fire and about to burst. Was this what it felt like to have a heart attack?

"Wirt," Greg groaned out again and he placed his arms on either side of Wirt's body, his hands gripping the sheet wrapped loosely around him.

His eyes wandered over Wirt's form and it made Wirt shuddered. He moved his legs and moaned softly. Fire threatened to consume him whole and he ached for it to end. Wirt resisted the urge to reach for Greg even though his entire mind was screaming at him to do so. How he knew Greg could fix this, he didn't know; he just knew it. And he wanted it to happen; he wanted it to happen so very badly. But he didn't have the energy; it seemed as though the fire had stolen what little energy he had.

It didn't seem as though he needed to reach up for his brother; Greg's face was getting closer to his own. He could clearly see the flush on Greg's face, make out the droplets of sweat that were trailing down his face, causing his hair to cling to his forehead, face, and neck. Wirt felt Greg's breath on his face and was overwhelmed by the scent seeping from him and by the presence his alpha body was exuding. Suddenly, Wirt was struck with just how handsome Greg was. Still maintaining some of his boyish good-looks, his natural optimism and kind-caring nature were so blatantly obvious and only heightened his physical features.

For once, Wirt felt a pang of jealous. Not for Greg, but for whoever managed to captivate him. Just the thought of Greg touching anyone made him cringe, but there would be nothing he could do about it. Greg was free to choose whoever he wanted; he was an alpha and alphas were only limited by other alphas. Betas weren't foolish enough to fight an alpha considering it'd be a one-sided match. Never has a beta beaten an alpha in a fight. And omegas…they weren't prone to confrontation. They weren't fighters and they couldn't win a fight even with an unfair advantage. Omegas were naturally weaker than betas; they had zero chance of fending off an alpha.

"Wirt, I…I…" Greg's voice sounding like music to his ears. Why was that? He had been listening to that voice for years. What made it so different now?

"You smell amazing, Wirt," Greg croaked out and one of his hands moved from clutching the sheet to stroking Wirt's side.

Such a simple gesture, yet it did so much for Wirt. With a cry, he climaxed in his boxers, soiling them and making his already sticky body feel even worse. Panting, sweat matting his hair to his face and neck and causing his clothes to cling to him, Wirt's glazed, half-lidded eyes stared up at Greg, whose eyes were wide and whose mouth was gaping. The hand continued caressing his side and it seemed to be cooling his body down. It felt positively fantastic and Wirt didn't want it to end.

"Geez, Wirt. That was…beautiful," Greg said. Wirt felt the bed dip as Greg brought his legs up on it. His body was now hovering above Wirt's, his mere presence causing Wirt's member to harden yet again.

"You're so beautiful, Wirt," Greg said and lowered his head to Wirt's neck. His nose ran up and down his damp skin, his breath ghosting upon it, cooling it and the sweat clinging to him. Vaguely, in the very back of Wirt's mind, he knew what Greg was doing. He was scent marking him, and as his mind clouded with arousal and heat the warning bells that had started going off were silenced.

"Let me take care of you," Greg said, his voice thick with desire and need. His lips grazed Wirt's neck and the moan that that mere action stole from him was filthy, blatantly pornographic.

"Please say yes, Wirt," Greg continued, his voice taking a pleading tone. His lips trailed kisses up Wirt's neck, then along his jaw, and stopped just as he reached Wirt's lips. Their eyes met and the spark that passed between them was tangible.

"Y-yes," Wirt replied, his voice sounding rough and foreign to his ears.

Greg's lips pressed to his own and the jolt that racked Wirt's body made him arch up off of the bed and rub delectably against Greg's. All at once, Greg's arms wrapped around him, bringing their bodies together and leaving no room for escape, not that Wirt wanted to, and his legs hooked around Wirt's. Their groined rubbed together and Greg began to grind against him, sending unyielding waves of pleasure all along Wirt's body.

Wirt's arms moved of their own accord, wrapping around Greg's neck and shoulders, pulling him even closer. His fingers played with the damp hair on Greg's neck, brushing the skin softly and causing Greg's body to shudder against his own delightfully. Greg's tongue pressed against his lips and Wirt opened his mouth. As their kiss deepened, one of Greg's hands traveled down Wirt's back, gliding lightly over his skin sinfully until it reached his boxers. Slipping inside, Greg's shaking hand took hold of one of his butt cheeks and began kneading it softly.

Gasping at the sensation, Wirt arched again slightly, his body tingling all over. Greg broke their kiss and began licking and sucking at his neck. Wirt's toes curled and he shuddered and trembled beneath him. His body felt better, both cool and ablaze with a fiery passion he had never before experienced, but not suffocating. He felt Greg's hand cease kneading him and glide to his slick, quivering entrance. The thought of Greg's fingers prodding him drove him mad and he found his body moving on its own accord, trying to grind back into that hand.

Gently, Greg's index finger stroked a circle around his entrance, not going inside of him but remaining just out of reach. Wirt groaned and tilted his head back. He felt Greg grin against his neck and lick him teasingly.

"What is it you want, Wirt?" he asked, his voice carrying a teasing tone despite being thick with arousal and lust. Wirt panted and tried to grind some more, but Greg held him in place easily, oh, so easily.

"I want… I want…" Wirt began, his eyes half-lidded as his body spasmed. Just the gentle touch of Greg's fingers was enough to send jolts of pleasure throughout his body.

"Yes?" Greg probed before kissing him passionately. He continued grinding his arousal against Wirt's and pulled away from his lips when the need to breathe became too great.

"I want…you…inside of me!" Wirt cried out, tears beginning to well up in his eyes. If Greg didn't do something soon, he was going to climax again.

His wish was granted as Greg inserted his index finger into his body with ease. For once in his life, Wirt was glad that he was an omega as his self-lubricating body allowed for Greg to enter him so easily. As his finger moved around inside of him, Wirt felt the sting of the intrusion, though it was a dull pain. With Greg nuzzling his neck affectionately and grinding against him, the dull pain faded away from the front of his mind.

And then, a second finger was added and the sting was back. Wirt winced and hissed softly as Greg began scissoring him and stretching him properly. Surges of pain shot through him as his body was stretched and he felt Greg press soft kisses to his neck. His other hand ran up and down his back soothingly and he felt himself begin to relax. When a third finger was added, the pain returned, but his slick hole made it easy for Greg's fingers to maneuver. It was only when Greg's fingers brushed against something that made him see stars that he kind of forgot about the pain. Gasping, he clutched at Greg's shoulders and hair, burying his fingers in his hair and sinking his nails into his skin.

"You like that, Wirt?" Greg asked him. "Does it feel good? Do you want more?"

Dear God, why was Greg asking him questions right now? All he could process was what Greg was doing to him and that it felt so incredible and magnificent and that he wanted more. Moaning loudly, Wirt started grinding himself on Greg's fingers, earning him a chuckle from his brother. He felt those fingers being pulled out of his body and Wirt whined at the loss of them. And suddenly, Greg was pulling away from him completely and Wirt's eyes snapped up at him, wide with disbelief.

When he saw Greg removing his tank top, he understood why. Sitting up, ignoring the lubricant seeping from his hole, Wirt tugged his pajama shirt up his body. It was harder than it should have been because the shirt was rather big on him and mostly clung to him because of the sweat. Another, more annoyed whine escaped him before Greg helped him, practically ripping it off of him and tossing the shirt to the side. Then, he removed his boxers and his face turned a dark, deep red, his ears doing the same.

Wirt's erection was standing proud, cum smearing all around it and precum leaking from the tip. This was the first time he had ever been naked in front of anyone, not counting his baby days. What made him feel even more exposed and embarrassed was the way Greg was looking at him, with barely concealed restraint. His brother swallowed thickly and proceeded to take off his own boxers. Seeing his brother's erection caused him to moan softly.

He had been right when he thought that Greg was well endowed earlier. Greg was longer than he was and had more girth, which made sense as he was an alpha and most alphas were bigger. Wirt's eyes drank him in hungrily and he watched as Greg's erection twitched. His eyes traveled up Greg's body and stopped at his face, their eye connecting in a gaze that caused the very air around them to sizzle deliciously.

Before he even knew it, Greg's lips were upon his own and they were kissing again. Wirt felt himself being lowered back onto his bed and he spread his legs so that Greg could fit in between them. With one hand, Greg lined his penis up against Wirt's entrance and looked up at him. Biting his lip, Wirt nodded and slowly, so very slowly, pushed in.

The difference between Greg's fingers and his penis was made quite obvious. Wirt cried out in pain and gasped and panted until Greg was sheathed the entire way inside of him. A hand caressed his head, fingers running through his hair and Greg cooed him soothingly, whispering reassurances that he didn't hear over his own pained pants. Kisses were pressed against his neck, cheeks, jaw, and lips and after a few minutes, the pain began to dwindle.

"I…I'm okay, Greg," Wirt rasped out. "Move."

"Are you sure?" Greg asked. "I don't want to hurt you…"

"Just…move, Greg," Wirt answered.

Almost reluctantly, Greg pulled out, leaving only the tip inside, and then thrust back in. Pain surged through Wirt's body, but it was accompanied by intense pleasure. With every thrust Greg made, the more pleasure he felt until there was no more pain, until there was only Greg, himself, and the wonderful, amazing heat that was slowly drowning him. Wirt's eyes were closed tightly and his body moved in time to meet Greg's thrust, his hands clutching to shoulders far broader than his own. Greg kissed and sucked at his neck, one arm holding Wirt's body while the other caressed his bare thigh, trailing close to Wirt's erection every so often before moving away.

When Greg brushed against his prostate, Wirt moaned loudly and bent his head to meet Greg's in a kiss. Every time his brother his hit it, an even stronger jolt of pleasure shot up his spine. Heavy pants and moans were tumbling out of his mouth with every thrust and Wirt felt as though his body were on fire. He had never felt so good before; never had he thought that something like this would happen, especially between himself and Greg, yet here they were. And with so much unadulterated pleasure coursing throughout his entire body, Wirt didn't think about it. As a matter of fact, he was having a hard time thinking about anything aside from Greg and what he was doing to him right now.

Greg's thrusting began to lose its rhythm as it became harder, faster, and more frantic. The hand that had been teasing him earlier finally wrapped around his arousal and Wirt groaned as Greg began stroking him just as erratically as he was thrusting. Wirt knew that he wasn't going to last much long. He was surprised he had lasted this long, what with his body aflame with passion and desire, sweat crawling down his skin, clinging to him and binding him to Greg, and Greg making him feel things he had never felt before, making love to him in a way that Wirt had never thought would happen…it was almost too much.

"Wirt…Wirt…Wirt," Greg chanted over and over again, his name sounding more like a prayer than a sing coming from those lips. And then, Wirt felt something, something far different than what he had been feeling: Greg's knot.

"Come for me, Wirt," Greg rasped in his ear before he bit down on it gently.

As he felt Greg's knot tied them together and his hand stroke him one last time, Wirt came, coating his stomach and Greg's and Greg's hand while he cried out in pure bliss and ecstasy. Arching up harshly from the bed and releasing a strangled cry from the back of his throat, a white, blinding light overcame him, robbing him of his sight as he came. He felt Greg's body stiffen, heard the low, guttural growl, before he felt Greg's semen spill into his body. For quite a few seconds, Greg's body jerked, his muscles tense and rigid.

Greg filled him with his semen, some leaking out and dribbling down his skin, until he was finished and then he collapsed on top of him. Their sweaty, sticky bodies were more than enough to keep them held together, but Greg's knot was what made it impossible for them to be parted. And Wirt loved it. He loved the feel of Greg's knot tying them together, he loved Greg lying on top of him, he loved wrapping his arms around him and cuddling him and kissing his sweaty forehead.

He loved all of it and he wanted more.

"That was…fantastic," Greg panted out, his breath a cool breeze against Wirt's still hot and sweaty skin. Wirt smiled. Finally, after days of feeling weird and out of place and strange, he felt…normal, complete, whole.

"Yeah, it was, wasn't it?" Wirt replied. Greg leaned up and kissed him, a soft, tender, and loving kiss.

"I'm in love with you, Wirt," Greg told him as they continued kissing. "I love everything about you. I have for a while now. And you're mine, all mine."

"Do you love me too, Wirt?" Greg asked him, his eyes serious, but hopeful, shining brightly just like they always did whenever he looked at Wirt.

"Of course I love you, Greg," Wirt said, and it was true.

After everything that they went through, after all they've been through since then, after all Greg's done for him, after all they've done for each other, how could he not love him? Maybe it was just his post-coitus high that was clouding his mind, but all Wirt felt at the moment was relief and love.

"Good, because you're stuck with me now," Greg said and smiled brightly at that before he kissed Wirt again.

With Greg kissing him so sweetly and with his knot still in place, Wirt allowed himself to be lost in the moment. His arms wound around Greg's neck, his fingers playing with his wet locks, and held him close and dear. It was so easy for him to get lost in the kisses he was receiving and responding to, and for once, Wirt didn't fret, didn't worry, didn't panic; he just followed Greg's lead without a care in the world.

 **~…~**

He felt warm, too warm, and unnaturally heavy. Although his eyes were still closed, Wirt could feel an extra pair of arms and legs wound around him and he wondered for a moment just when he had grown then. Then, his eyes snapped opened; suddenly, he was wide awake and all too aware of the fact that Greg was lying, naked, on top of him. His body felt sore, stiff, and sticky, and Wirt began recalling what had transpired between himself and his brother.

"GAH!" Wirt screamed and tumbled out of bed, taking the sheet and Greg with him.

"Huh? What?" Greg asked groggily, his eyes half lidded with sleep and his hair tousled.

Wirt scrambled away from him, wincing at the pain and soreness that he had forgotten entirely in his haste. Wide eye and mind racing, he wrapped the sheet around his naked body and tried to scoot away further, only to bump into the leg of his desk. Greg yawned, rubbed at his eyes, and blinked before his gaze turned to Wirt. The tired smile that had begun to form disappeared when he saw how panicked and upset he was.

"Wirt? Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you? What's wrong, Wirt?" Greg asked, reaching out to him. Unfortunately for the older teen, he couldn't back away any further and all he could do was flinch away from Greg's outstretched hand.

Everything they had done was racing through his mind, replaying over and over; every caress, every kiss, every moan were all vivid and fresh on a screen only he could see. What was worse about this was that part of him didn't even feel bad about the fact that he had not only slept with his brother, but that he had allowed Greg to knot him as well! That same part of him liked it – no, loved it. The very fact that he was Greg's omega, his mate, made his entire body tingle. But he couldn't turn off the part of his mind that told him how very wrong it was for him to be mated to his own brother.

"Greg! Greg! Greg!" Wirt croaked out and hot, fat tears began tumbling out of his tear ducts and running down his cheeks.

He had thought he could sink no lower than being an omega, but no. Sleeping and mating with his brother took the cake! Why had he let it get so far? What was wrong with him? Did he have a death wish? George was going to kill him, flat out kill him, when he found out, and he would find out eventually. It would be pretty darn hard to hide something like this! However, if by some miracle George didn't kill him, then Wirt was surely doomed to the fiery pits of Hell for this. Despite not being a religious person, he knew that there was no other fate for him. Not only that, but it would be Greg's fate as well and that was even worse…

Wirt opened his mouth to scream, but no sound came out. His tears continued to flow, though. And his chest felt tight, very tight, almost as though he couldn't breathe. He couldn't breathe, his lungs felt like they were burning and shriveling up and he was gasping, but no air seemed to be entering. Wide eyed, crying, and scared, Wirt clawed at his chest, all thought gone except for the fact that he just. Couldn't. Breathe.

Suddenly, arms were around him, holding him tight, securely, and a voice was right by his ear, speaking though he couldn't hear the words, trying to sooth him. Wirt latched onto the voice and listened. Even though he didn't understand what it was saying, it was nice to listen to. Very nice. Comforting. Closing his eyes, Wirt focused on the voice and the painful tightening in his chest, the awful burning, began to subside after a while.

Seconds ticked by, and then minutes. After a long time, Wirt realized that he was mostly calm with only his chest rising with every hiccup and sob and beat of his heart. He started to feel better, though a bit lightheaded and fatigued. Greg continued to hold him, occasionally saying something reassuring or nuzzling his damp locks, plastered to his face and neck by sweat, or placing a kiss on his temple. Wirt felt very tired and he was practically limp in his brother's arms, but they supported him and he was both relieved and impressed at how strong Greg had become without him even really taking notice of it. He was so very grateful for his strength though, and Wirt snuggled against him, drinking in that strength and the warmth that accompanied it.

"Wirt? Are…are you okay now?" Greg asked him, his voice laced with worry and fear. Wirt suddenly felt bad. How must it have looked like to see him break down like that and be at a total loss as to what to do? God, he was the worst brother in history…

"I'm…I'm okay now, Greg. I'm s-sorry for worrying you like that," Wirt said as he straightened up and looked at his brother. Greg looked as concerned and frightened as he sounded, but he also had the look of something else. It kind of reminded Wirt of the look a brave knight would sport on the eve of a great battle.

"Will you tell me what's wrong? Why did you freak out like that? I felt it, a little bit, in here," Greg told him and placed a hand on his chest to pinpoint where he had felt whatever he had felt. Somewhere in Wirt's mind, he was reminded that alphas could sense when their omegas were in trouble, in danger, or hurt. He didn't know he could feel any worse, but he did.

"I… It's just that… Greg, we're…we're brothers!" Wirt answered him, his blotchy, red, tear-streaked face twisting in anguish. Greg's brow furrowed in confusion and his arms, which had been barely containing Wirt in their grasp they were so limp, suddenly tightened around him in a manner that was both protective and possessive.

"So?" Greg asked so nonchalantly, as though them being brothers was no big deal, as though it was just another thing to stroll by. Wirt felt like smacking himself in the face. How was it that Greg was always so calm about stuff like this?

"Greg, we're _brothers_. Brothers aren't supposed to be…mates. They aren't supposed to have sex with each other at all," Wirt said. "It's wrong."

"No, it's not," Greg retorted with a stubborn glint in his eyes.

"Greg-"

"Wirt, there have been plenty of siblings that have become mated pairs in the past," Greg said.

"Yes, and they've all ended badly," Wirt replied.

"Only the ones in the history books, and of course history will report those ones. They have all of the drama," Greg said. "Besides, there are loads of mated siblings the books don't tell you about, and not all of them can end in grizzly deaths, can they?"

He hated that Greg had a point.

"No, I guess they can't," Wirt muttered, frowning. Greg pressed their foreheads together and stared into his eyes. He suddenly became very much aware of the fact that he was sitting on Greg's lap and that his arms were still holding him tightly.

"Then what's the problem?" Greg asked him and he was smiling softly. Wirt had to admit that that smile was making him feel as though he had won a hundred bucks; he felt all warm and light and good inside just by seeing that smile.

"Well…it makes us damned…" Wirt answered and even he had to admit that his objection sounded weak to his own ears.

"I don't think we are. I love you, Wirt. And you love me too, right?" Greg said.

"Y-yes," Wirt said with a blush. It would take some getting used to, saying that he loved Greg in that particular way. But slowly, ever so slowly, his walls were tumbling down and he found himself relaxing in this, in them, in what they were together. No longer singular units but a complete whole; no longer fractured pieces but a complete picture.

"Is love something people are damned for?" Greg continued.

"Well, technically people have committed a lot of heinous and atrocious crimes all in the name of love," Wirt started but stopped upon seeing Greg's frown, one eye brow raised. "Bu-but usually no, it's not something people are damned or cursed for."

"So then, there's no problem, right?" Greg finished, looking happy and victorious and smiling even wider. Why did he do that? Why were his smiles suddenly making Wirt's heart melt?

"I…I guess not…" Wirt said. His response didn't seem too convincing because Greg's smile weakened a bit and he nudged Wirt's nose with his own.

"There's something else, isn't there?" he said. When Wirt nodded, he asked, "What is it?"

"Your dad," was all Wirt said.

When George found out, and he would find out sooner rather than later, he would murder Wirt. He would beat him with his bare hands and choke the life out of him. Or maybe he would stab him or shoot him; George did have a gun 'just in case'. Whatever method he would use, Wirt knew one thing for sure: his days were numbered.

"He won't lay a hand on you. He won't touch you. Not ever," Greg swore. His smile was gone; his face serious and determined as his eyes shone with passion and vigor. "I'll kill him if he hurts even one hair on you."

"Greg…he's your dad…" Wirt protested. Although George despised Wirt, he loved Greg. That much was apparent. And he was Greg's father.

"And you're my _mate_. You're mine, Wirt, and I won't let anyone hurt you ever again. No matter who, no matter what, I'm going to protect you and love you until I die," Greg told him. His words sent shivers down Wirt's spine. They were filled with power, possession, and a sense of protection that enfolded him like a second skin. He knew he shouldn't, but he liked hearing those words and he liked what they did to him.

"Besides, I see how Dad treats you. It's not fair and it's not right. You never did anything wrong to deserve any of the harsh words he's spouted at you. And I'll make sure he never hurts you. I'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe," Greg said with finality. His face set, his eyes ablaze, and his arms a protective barrier that kept Wirt safe from the harm of the outside world.

"Greg…I…I don't know what to say," Wirt said after a few minutes passed between them.

"Then don't say anything. Just…let me love you like you deserve to be," Greg replied.

Anything Wirt would have said, not that he had anything to say, was cut-off by Greg's lips upon his own. Though they were slightly chapped, Greg's lips felt delightful against his own and he felt his body relax completely. Greg's hands placed themselves on his hips and pulled him against his body. Getting the message, Wirt wrapped his legs around Greg's waist and felt himself being picked up and placed on his bed, the sheet left discarded on the floor.

Greg kissed him sweetly, tenderly, and Wirt could feel his love radiating from his body and from every move he made. His brother's hands moved to his inner thighs and began stroking them, sending warm waves of pleasure all over his body. Wirt didn't even realize he was hard until he felt a hand wrap around him and stroke him slowly, all the while a finger breeched his entrance.

Spreading his legs further, Wirt drowned himself in the sensations taking over his mind, clouding it until they were all that remained. His moans and pants mixed with Greg's and together they sang a song of love and passion and desire. Although he was still sore from their previous coupling hours before, Wirt's entrance was still slick enough to take Greg, his heat not yet over, just dulled down, tamed in away because of his new mate.

When Greg entered him, Wirt felt as though his entire body had exploded with pleasure. He clung to Greg as they made love, each thrust sending shivers to his core, each thrust causing the bed to rock. Wirt's fingers tangled in Greg's messy locks and his legs were wrapped around his waist, keeping them together. It seemed that no matter how close they were, there was still too much space separating them. His moans danced and twirled with Greg's as their kisses became more heady and sloppy and his body rose and fell and arched and shuddered beneath Greg's.

Sweat crawled down his body, leaving a lovely cool trail on his otherwise fire-hot body. Every caress sent a jolt of electricity across his moist skin while the very air around them felt on fire. And when Wirt came, he was fully submerged in the exhilaration and euphoria of love making. Mere seconds later, Greg joined him, crying out as he spilled his seed deep inside of his body for the second time that day.

Tired, sweaty, and panting, Greg and Wirt clung to each other on Wirt's bed, falling gracefully down from their high and waiting for the next round.

 **~…~**

"I'm surprised," Wirt said before he kissed Greg's lips, his hands cupping his brother's face. Greg's hands squeezed his hips as Wirt wiggled deliciously on his lap.

"By what, Wirt?" Greg asked before kissing him. They had been making out for the past twenty minutes and Wirt knew that he wasn't going to get any sleep that night.

Granted, he hadn't been getting a lot of sleep, not a lot of hours anyway. The sleep he got was far more restful than before as his body was far too tired and worn out after love making and his mind was effectively shut off. They made love often; Greg didn't seem able to keep his hands off of him. At first, it was strange because Wirt wasn't used to being paid so much attention to and he definitely wasn't used to being with an alpha. However, he found that he was getting used to it, was even comfortable with it.

He and Greg were careful, though. During school, the contact they made was minimal and Wirt didn't think anyone but Sara knew they were together. Though he smelled taken, just as Sara had informed him, no one seemed to connect who the alpha was. Most of the students were too busy with homework, tests, dates, parties, marching band, practice, and other things to pay much attention to Wirt, which he was grateful for. Unfortunately, Greg had always been well liked, even to the point of being popular among his own class, and Wirt had seen plenty of betas trying to get his attention. None of them succeeded of course and that was a good thing because every time someone bat an eyelash suggestively in Greg's direction his blood would boil with jealousy.

Of course, he never had anything to worry about: Greg only had eyes for him and he reminded Wirt of that almost every single night.

That weekend that Greg first knotted him was still present in his mind even though it had happened a few months ago. It was only by some grace of God that George and their mom still didn't know Greg and Wirt were mated. The both of them made sure that the house didn't smell like musk or sex or any of that. It was torture when they were around George and Mom; any second they could be busted and all hell would reign down upon them in the form of George's wrath. Thankfully, Wirt pretty much smelled like Greg already because they were brothers and lived together and did practically everything together, even before their first knotting.

Being around George and their mom was difficult because they were getting used to constantly touching each other and not being able to touch Greg made him feel as though he was being denied a part of himself. Wirt thought it was kind of funny how it seemed as though there was no difference between himself and Greg anymore; they were one in the same and he constantly craved contact with his alpha. He couldn't have that contact when they were around George and their mom and they couldn't have as much of it in school either, not unless they both snuck away to the bathroom. Those instances didn't happen often; they had to be coy and cautious and extremely careful, lest they stir up unneeded trouble.

In the dark of the night, behind closed doors, when George and their mom were both sound asleep, all of that melted away. The stress and loss they felt during the day vanished into thin air as kisses, caresses, and fluids were exchanged. They didn't always make love, though. Sometimes, they would just cuddle or Greg would curl up around Wirt's body placing feather-light kisses on his neck and talking about whatever came to mind. Just being in Greg's arms was enough for Wirt and he looked forward to every private moment he could capture with his brother. Even waking up earlier than their mom and George and returning to their own rooms was worth it.

Their little tricks weren't foolproof though, and Wirt knew it was only a matter of time before he and Greg were caught. He's seen and felt George's critical gaze on both him and Greg several times and he knew his stepdad was suspicious. Their mom didn't seem to sense anything was amiss or unusual, but she wasn't stupid. If George was seeing something, anything, even the tiniest detail, then their mom would eventually catch on.

Honestly, Wirt wasn't worried what their mom would think; it was George that frightened him to death. His imagination ran wild with all of the things George was capable of doing to him and absolutely none of them were at all pleasant. Not even his heats were as enjoyable. With his suppressants, he was able to go to school and since his mom kept them in stock, he had no reason to miss school on his heat days. During the weekends he was in heat were torture as it wasn't often George and their mom went away all weekend and although they used to go out to dinner or the movies a lot they had stopped going as much since Wirt's first heat.

Why, he never understood, but he figured that maybe they thought he'd do something to Greg or have someone come over while he was in heat and they were away. The very thought of having any of the alphas from school come over made Wirt cringe. And if it was Greg they were worried about him seducing, well, it was kind of ironic, wasn't it?

More often than not, his heats were spent without any mating or knotting actually going on since neither of them were particularly quiet during his heats. Greg was still with him; even before his first heat, Wirt and Greg were often together doing whatever suited them at that moment in time. So, Greg being around him even when he was in heat didn't raise any suspicions. George still didn't like Greg being near him when he was in heat, neither did their mom, and most of the time he would just scowl or glare at Wirt if he saw him if it was his heat day. Greg never listened to George or their mom when they told him to leave Wirt alone while he was in heat before they mated and he still didn't listen to him.

As soon as Wirt's heat started, Greg would slip into his room and nuzzle his neck and leave a trail of kisses up it until he would reach his lips. They would kiss and there would be a lot of heavy petting. If they were lucky and it was really early in the morning, around two or three, they would make love and Greg would knot him. But those mornings were few and far between and the risks were far too high, even Greg admitted so. Kissing and petting were enough to sate Wirt when he was in heat and the little touches they managed to get away with either at school or at home made all of the difference.

Which brought him back to right now.

Wirt, still in Greg's lap, pulled away from his kiss and gazed into his brother's eyes. They shone brightly with happiness and the smile on his lips was reflected in them clearly.

"What are you surprised by, Wirt?" Greg asked him a second him. Wirt gave him a small smile as Greg brought his hands up to hold his face. Greg's hands were larger and warmer than his own and he loved feeling them on his skin.

"That we haven't been caught yet," Wirt replied and he placed his hands over Greg's.

"Yeah, it is kind of surprising, isn't it?" Greg said and pulled Wirt into a kiss.

Wirt moaned softly against Greg's lips and he wound his arms around his neck, pressing closer to him. He could feel his mate's arousal against his backside and it stirred a yearning inside of him that could only be sated by one thing. Slowly, he began rocking back and forth on Greg's lap, grinding against him. Just the thought of Greg being inside of him made him moan again. Ever so lightly, he slid his hands down Greg's forearms, feeling the goose bumps rise up on his skin, and stopped on his biceps, clasping the hard muscle gently.

"Greg," Wirt panted as he pulled away from the kiss, his eyes glazed and heated.

"Yeah, Wirt?" Greg said and nipped at his jaw.

"Greg," he repeated louder as his grinding increased against Greg's clothed erection.

Just then, Greg's bedroom door opened with such a force that the knob left an impression in the wall. Wirt felt his blood turn to ice and his body turn to stone. Greg's eyes were wide and he looked startled. A thick tension seeped into the atmosphere around them, almost choking him. Then, George spoke.

"I knew it," he growled, his voice as sharp and as menacing as a knife. Wirt didn't even have to see his face to know that he was being given a glare that would put even the bravest soul six-feet under; he could feel those hate-filled eyes boring holes into the back of his skull.

Forcing himself to do so, Wirt turned his head and looked at George. His stepdad's face was a deep shade of red, almost a purple, and he looked furious. A vein on his forehead was popping out and Wirt had mere seconds before a hand was around his throat, lifting him up and slamming him painfully against the wall. He cried out in pain and tried to claw at George's hands to let him go. Shuffling down the hall and a moment later, their mom was stepping into the room.

"George! What are you doing?! Let him go! Let Wirt go now!" she cried and ran over to him, trying to pry his hand away from Wirt's throat. He could hardly breathe and his chest was tightening. Tears began welling up in his eyes.

"He. And. Greg. Are. Are. FUCKING!" George spat, spit flying as he shouted.

Wirt saw her eyes widen and her expression change from frightened and panicked to stunned before a loud growl resounded throughout the room. Greg grabbed George and tore him away from Wirt, who sunk to the floor coughing and gagging, his throat red and sore. Through bleary eyes, he watched as Greg hoisted George up and shoved him roughly against the wall, causing one of the pictures hanging up to fall down and break.

Greg looked pissed, absolutely pissed. Wirt had never seen him like this: eyes narrowed, mouth slightly open in a threatening growl with his teeth showing, his chest rising and falling with every pant and breath, one hand fisted in George's night shirt while the other rose up. Closing his eyes, Wirt ducked his head and flinched when he heard Greg's fist collide with the wall. Opening his eyes just enough to see, Wirt looked up and saw that his mate had punch a hole in the wall mere inches away from George's face.

"If you ever put your hands on my mate again, I'll tear you apart!" Greg seethed, his eyes filled with an anger Wirt had never seen before. George's hands tried to loosen his son's grip, but it was no use. It was obvious that Greg was stronger than his dad and angrier. Threatening another alpha's mate or touching them were two of the highest causes of fighting among alphas and often lead to fatal injuries, sometimes even death.

"Your…mate?" their mom croaked out. She looked utterly horrified and Wirt noticed that she was avoiding looking at him at all costs, her eyes focused entirely on Greg and George.

"Yes, Mom, my mate," Greg growled, his eyes never leaving George. His dad's feet were inches from touching the floor and in that moment, Wirt was in awe of the sheer strength his brother, his mate, possessed.

"When…?" she began and stopped, unable to finish her question.

"That weekend you and Dad went away," Greg answered.

"But…that was _months_ ago!" their mom cried out and she began to cry.

"Yes, it was. Wirt's mine. He's been mine and he'll always be mine. He's all I've ever wanted in a mate," Greg continued, his voice never losing its low, guttural growl. "And no one, not you, not Dad, _no one_ is going to take him away from me."

Greg pulled George's face close to his own and his face twisted into a snarl. He looked every bit like an alpha and he was glorious. Wirt couldn't keep his eyes off of him. Even as George began to choke and cough, he couldn't find it in him to stop Greg, to get up, to call out to their mom, to do anything except watch.

"If you ever, EVER, put your hands on Wirt again, I will end you," Greg threatened George, his hold tightening, choking his father even more. "Do you understand me?"

George nodded his head frantically and Greg released him. He fell to the floor and coughed, his face red and his hands at his throat. Their mom sobbed and rushed to him, taking hold of him and helping him up. He stumbled and tripped, but he had enough venom in him to send Wirt one final glare before the two of them left the room, closing the door behind them.

As soon as they were gone, Greg rushed to him and knelt beside him. He was still angry, his body was still as stiff as a board and tense, but his features were softer now and laced with concern and guilt.

"I'm so sorry, Wirt. I'm so, so sorry. I promised to protect you and I let Dad…I let Dad…" Greg sniffed and suddenly he was a little kid again. Seeing the tears well up in his eyes and his face contort in agony, Wirt felt himself reaching out and pulling Greg to him. He felt Greg bury his head against his neck and released a small sob.

"It's not your fault, Greg. We knew we couldn't keep us a secret forever," Wirt told him and he winced. His voice was hoarse and his throat throbbed, but he continued speaking. "Your dad just hates me."

"I hate him. I hate him so much. He's so cruel to you and for no good reason," Greg said, his tears soaking Wirt's shirt.

"Greg, you…you don't mean that. You don't hate your father," Wirt said.

"Yes, I do. And if he keeps treating you like this…" Greg stopped. After a while, his tears ceased as well and he sat up. Wirt gave him a small smile.

"Hey, listen, I'll be graduating soon and going to the community college. And after two years, you'll be graduating. That's a long time to hate your dad, don't you think?" Wirt asked him.

"No," Greg said simply, his eyes flashing with anger and danger.

"Greg, you're making this harder than it needs to be," Wirt groaned and pressed his forehead against his mate's.

"I'm sorry, Wirt, but it just makes my blood boil seeing him glare at you. When he touched you, I just…snapped," Greg said.

"Don't be sorry, Greg. It's not your fault. It's only natural for alphas to be protective of their mates," Wirt said. "You were only acting instinctually."

"Then don't tell me not to hate my dad. He hurt you; no other alpha would let that go even if it was family," Greg replied. "If he does it again…" He didn't finish his sentence, but he didn't have to. Wirt had a feeling what Greg would do and it wouldn't be pleasant, not for George at least.

"What…do you think George and Mom will do to me?" Wirt asked, a sudden chill going down his spine.

"Nothing, because there is no you and there is no me. There's us, only us. If they do anything to you, then they're going to do it to me too," Greg told him, his eyes ablaze and his expression serious. Not for the first time did it hit Wirt just how handsome Greg had become. "I won't let you face anything alone anymore."

Wirt's vision became clouded as tears filled his eyes. He couldn't vocally express how much Greg's words meant to him, what they made him feel. All he could do was press himself against Greg and hold him, burying his face in his neck. Knowing that there would be hell to pay in the morning, he allowed himself to soak up the warmth and safety he felt while in his mate's arms.

 **~…~**

Wirt stepped into the kitchen with Greg by his side, one hand on his elbow ready to step in front should anything happen. His was nervous and afraid, but George didn't say anything. He merely gave Wirt a cold, hate-filled glare, picked up his brief case and his travel mug and left. Their mom was sitting at the table, her eyes red and puffy and her entire demeanor emanating exhaustion. Judging from the shouting match Wirt and Greg listened to last night before a fitful sleep finally took him, he didn't have to guess as to why she was so tired.

"M-morning, Mom," Wirt said, his voice cracking as he and Greg stepped further into the kitchen. He kept close to Greg as the younger retrieved two packs of pop tarts out of the cupboard. Their mom looked up and stared at him with her puffy eyes for a few seconds before she looked away, not saying a word.

"Do you want your pop tarts toasted, Wirt?" Greg asked him, holding up an unopened pack.

"O-oh, uh, toasted please. Thank you," Wirt said, giving him a small smile.

The sound of a chair moving caused Wirt to turn back to their mom. She looked like she was about to breakdown and he felt bad. He could only imagine what was running through her mind and although he wasn't as close to her as he once was, Wirt still loved their mom.

"You two are really…you're really…?" she could get the words out and her bottom lip trembled, as though she were trying to keep her tears at bay. From behind him, Greg reached out, took hold of Wirt's wrist, and tugged him back gently until their bodies connected.

"Yes, Mom, we are," Greg answered and his tone left no room for argument. "What are you and Dad going to do about it?"

"There's nothing we can do, not now that it's all said and done. Besides, you two are still my boys," their mom said and she glanced at Wirt briefly before turning to Greg again. It seemed that regardless of her words, the blame for this situation was placed on him, because he was an omega, because George believed he enchanted Greg with his omega pheromones or something idiotic like that. Well, he guessed his stepdad wasn't entirely wrong about that.

"George just needs time to let it sink in and adjust. It is…quite a lot to take in," she added. Wirt wanted to scoff, but he didn't. He didn't want to add more tension to an already tense situation. "If it was meant to be, then…that's…all there is to it."

She chewed on her bottom lip and refused to look at them as she gathered her things. Wirt wanted to sigh; he felt as though an enormous weight had been placed on his shoulders and he had no idea how to get rid of it. None of her words had comforted him and he mostly believed that she had just said them because it was what a mother would say to her children. He didn't think she meant them, not entirely, and her demeanor seemed to support his suspicion, but he kept his mouth shut. Tried to squash his unease and sadness down.

He quickly ate his breakfast and followed Greg towards the front door, their mom behind them. As they exited the house and their mom walked over towards her car, she turned to them, a desperate pleading in her eyes and said, "Boys, do me a favor? Please…don't…let anyone at your school know you two are…are…are mated, okay?"

"We're always careful, Mom. We have been since day one. No worries," Greg said and he gave her a small smile. He was still angry about last night and didn't seem like he was ready to forgive their mom or his dad.

"Have a good day, boys," she said, got in her car, and pulled out of the driveway. Not even a moment later, the bus had arrived and they were making their way to school.

 **~…~**

Graduation came sooner rather than later and Wirt was looking forward to community college. The thought of not being around Greg all day left him with unsettling thoughts and doubts, but he was looking forward to not being in high school and around people who knew him. A large portion of his class were going off to other schools and only a few were going to the community college, so he hoped he'd be better off there.

As excited as Wirt was, he still didn't like the thought of not being around Greg as much. He tried to pick classes that would go later so that he could meet up with Greg as soon as school let out, but it was difficult. Since he had signed up for the Humanities, Languages, and the Arts program, half of his classes were morning classes while the other half were either at night or unavailable until the spring semester. And he didn't want to get out at eleven or somewhere around there because Greg wouldn't get home until about a quarter to three. The thought of being at home alone until then, and with the possibility of George coming home during his lunch hour to strangle him or something, greatly unnerved Wirt. If need be, he could wait in the food court at his school; the only problem with that scenario was that he'd be a sitting duck when in heat and Wirt wasn't strong enough to fend off any alpha who might be there.

Even with all of that, Wirt looked forward to his classes. Writing poetry had given him the drive to go for some kind of degree in the Arts or something and even if it was community college it would be vastly different from college, he thought.

With graduation also came summer vacation. Greg and Wirt were free to be alone together at home for two and a half months, something George liked to point out often at dinner with his unwavering glare directed solely at Wirt. George's disgust and hatred of Wirt had intensified ever since he found out about him and Greg being mates, but Greg's threat seemed to keep him at bay from actually doing anything. Dinner was always an intense affair now and Wirt made sure to always be the first out done and out of there. Greg often closely followed him unless he was angry at the things his dad was saying. Wirt couldn't drown out the argument he would listen to, but after a while they lessened.

Greg was a stronger alpha than George and it showed. He could silence his dad with one well timed glare. Wirt knew that George didn't like it, but the problem wasn't Greg, it was Wirt. If he hadn't been an omega, there wouldn't have been an attraction between him and Greg and they wouldn't be mated. George solemnly believed that. He didn't want to listen to the fact that Wirt hadn't seduced Greg into his bed; that it had been this unexplainable connection that brought them together, the same connection that was often mentioned in textbooks whenever omegas were discussed. With omegas being the rarest of the three, whenever an omega did find their true mate, it was considered fate, destiny, something preordained.

Wirt hadn't asked to be mated to Greg, but that was how things were and he wouldn't change it for the world. Looking back, he didn't think anyone else was better suited for him; no other alpha compared to Greg. Most of them were too macho, too testosterone filled, and too arrogant for Wirt to even consider them; at least, most of the alphas he had known at school were like that. There were some who weren't like that, some who were nice and considerate, but none of them on either side of the spectrum had caught his eye, not like Greg had. Even before Greg had had his first rut, Wirt knew he'd be an alpha and that he'd be an amazing companion to whoever he mated with.

Somehow, by some way, by some kind of divine power, that person ended up being him and Wirt wouldn't change it. The very thought of Greg being with anyone else brought a sour taste in his mouth and an aching that wouldn't dissipate until he was in his mate's arms. No alpha had smelled so good to him and no alpha had ever made him feel safe and secure, not like Greg did. Even after having endured so much from George and their mom since his first heat, Wirt wouldn't want any other alpha. If he was supposed to be with another alpha, then his body wouldn't have reacted so strongly to Greg in the first place especially since it hadn't reacted to any other alpha. Every heat he had endured had been average until Greg's first rut. If that wasn't proof enough, Wirt didn't know what was.

But if he tried to explain that to George he'd find himself forced against a wall with hands wrapped around his neck again. So, Wirt kept quiet, kept his words to himself, knowing it wouldn't do any good trying to reason with George or their mom.

"What are you thinkin' about, Wirt?" Greg asked, lifting his head from Wirt's chest where it had been lying on. His arms were wrapped around Wirt's back, fingers caressing his bare skin. They were lying on Greg's bed and had finished making love ten minutes ago. The evidence was still coating his and Greg's stomachs and beginning to cake on his thighs.

"School and you," Wirt said, the fingers on his one hand carting through Greg's still damp hair, a small, soft smile on his face.

"What about school and me?" Greg asked curiously, lifting himself up on his right elbow and staring down at him. His left hand began stroking Wirt's side, causing him to shiver.

"It'll be the first time we've been away from each other for hours on end, ever since…" Wirt's voice trailed off, not that he needed to finish. Greg knew he was talking about their trip into the Unknown, which seemed like an eternity ago.

"I know. I thought about that too and I don't like it. Just thinking about it makes me uneasy," Greg said, the corners of his lips tugging down in a frown.

"I'll probably be done with classes before you get out. I was thinking of…hanging out at the food court at my school until you're out," Wirt said.

"Are you sure? It could be dangerous. There are tons of weirdoes out there, Wirt, and I don't want you to get hurt," Greg said, bringing his free hand up to stroke his cheek. Wirt automatically leaned into his touch.

"I'd rather be there than here by myself. Besides, I'd be in a public place so it's not like I'd be entirely alone," Wirt replied. "And it'd give me a chance to work on my homework and stuff. Besides, it's within walking distance of the high school and we could walk home together."

"Well…alright. If you say so, Wirt. But if something happens, I'll come running. I can always tell when something's wrong with you," Greg told him.

"You really are something else, Greg," Wirt said with a smile.

Nothing more was said as Greg kissed him, effectively ending their conversation. Wirt moaned softly as he felt Greg's body move against his own. All thoughts of school and the park and George evaporated from his mind as he was swallowed up in ecstasy.

 **~…~**

Summer vacation was gone within the blink of an eye, as it always was. Before Wirt knew it, he was starting classes Monday through Friday from seven in the morning to noon. He started two weeks before Greg and his mate often accompanied him to school and waited in the small food court until his classes were done. Greg blended in perfectly with the students who were often lounging around in the food court before their own classes started and he was hardly bothered. He did turn quite a few heads though, both male and female, and while at first it made Wirt feel insecure, his doubts and fears would melt away when Greg would grab his hand and give it a squeeze. It reminded him that no matter how many people gave Greg the once-over, he was Wirt's mate just as Wirt was his.

Another good thing that he liked about going to the community college was that hardly anyone batted an eye when Greg would hold his hand or hug him longer than what was necessary. His scent often raised a few eyebrows and he received plenty of curious glances, but no one said anything to Wirt or Greg and they were mostly just ignored by the general student body.

Unfortunately, those two weeks went by fast and Greg was soon starting school, leaving Wirt to his own devices. It wasn't too bad; his projects and assignments kept him busy until it was time for him to go and meet Greg. He made sure to sit well away from the other students, especially when he was in heat. Thankfully, Greg's scent was all over him and that was sufficient enough to ward off anyone who was too interested in him.

The months trickled by and Wirt found himself getting used to his classes and even being away from Greg for longer than what he was used to. However, his heat days were pretty intense until he was with Greg, until he was able to touch him even if it was just the brush of a finger. Wirt found it hard to concentrate in class when he was in heat, which wasn't something new. Not even the gazes and stares he got were strange to him now.

But there were alphas in his classes who weren't mated and Wirt found their penetrating gazes to be unnerving. A few of them looked as though they were tempted to approach him regardless of the fact that he was taken, Greg's scent mingling with his own and producing an even stronger scent than he would exude if he weren't mated. His instructors didn't bring him into any discussions during his heats and left him alone, for which Wirt was grateful.

When he would meet up with Greg and they would get home, they would make their way upstairs and lock themselves in Greg's room until their mom and George came home from work. They had taken to using Greg's room more often than his own because Greg liked Wirt being surrounded by his scent, by him, and if he were being honest with himself, he liked it as well. Though their mom and George still weren't happy about him and Greg being mated, there really was nothing they could do.

Still, life wasn't so bad. School was going well and Greg made everything that went wrong right again, even if all he could do was reassure and love Wirt.

Time flew by and before Wirt knew it, it was summer vacation again and his first year at school was over. He'd be entering his second year and Greg would be graduating early, having already compiled enough credits to do so. Wirt had been surprised, but pleasantly so. Yes, he knew that Greg was smart and that he had aced all of his classes in the years prior, but he hadn't known that he had been doing _that_ well.

"I wanted to graduate early so that I could go to college with you," Greg told him when Wirt asked him about it.

He was surprised. Honestly, he hadn't thought Greg would go on to college after graduating; he wasn't sure what Greg planned on doing as he had never expressed an interest in any one particular subject. Though it was odd, Wirt was touched by the fact that Greg had done so just to remain with him. It brought a soft smile to his face. For about one second before it disappeared.

"Greg, with your grades you could go to any school and get accepted. No problems. And I'm sure Mom and George would love for you to go to some prestigious school. Don't throw your opportunities away," Wirt told him, trying to sound stern but failing. It had been quite some time since he was able to be stern with him.

"I know that I go could go anywhere I want to. And Mom and Dad both want me to go to somewhere really nice. But I don't want to go to any of those schools," Greg replied, his face and tone both serious.

"Why not? You could become whatever you want to be and experience life outside of this town, Greg," Wirt said. Greg stepped closer to him and pressed him against the wall of his bedroom, their eyes never losing contact.

"What would be the point of doing any of that without you, Wirt?" Greg asked him. When Wirt didn't say anything, he continued, "I love you, Wirt, and I'm not going anywhere without you. Mom and Dad flat out told me they weren't going to send you anywhere else, so I'm staying here too. That's how it's going to be. This is what I want. _You_ are what I want."

"Greg…" Wirt didn't know what to say. What could he say? Greg could go to any school he wanted to and major in anything, yet he was willing to trade all of that, all of those opportunities, for him? He didn't see how Greg was making out on the deal, but he felt so very relieved that Greg wasn't going to leave him, that he was never going to leave him. Not that he could, but there was a difference between having no choice and genuinely wanting something, someone.

"I'd rather be with you at the community college than miles away and alone," Greg said, a tone of finality in your voice.

"Well…if…that's what you want, Greg," Wirt said.

"Of course you're what I want. You're what I'll always want," Greg said and kissed him, putting all of his love into the kiss.

 **~…~**

Oh, no.

Oh, no, no, no.

Not again.

Why?

Why did these things always happen to him?

A voice in the back of his mind scoffed at him.

He knew why this was happening. It wasn't hard to figure it out. Yet as Wirt stared down at the blue plus sign on the pregnancy test, he still found it hard to believe.

Pregnant.

He was pregnant.

With Greg's child.

Of course it was Greg's, who else could be the father?

But this could not be happening. He knew it was; the undeniable proof was clasped tightly in his hand. Believing it was another matter entirely.

For weeks, Wirt had been feeling under the weather. His stomach felt queasy, his nipples would ache and feel sore for no apparent reason, and he was constantly tired. At first, he thought that he was coming down with a cold, but when his heat day came and went and he didn't go into heat, Wirt knew that something was definitely not right at all. Greg kept asking him if he was okay, his countenance filled with concern. Though Wirt had kept telling him he was fine, inside he was panicking.

And now, Wirt had his answer.

He was pregnant with Greg's child.

A tiny, semi-hysterical laugh escaped him as Wirt sat down on the closed toilet lid. He had to admit that he was surprised it took this long since Greg never used protection and he never asked him to pull out or anything. Not that Greg could when he was knotted to him anyway.

Oh, God, what was he going to do now? Correction, what were he and Greg going to do?

Wirt was twenty and in his third year at the community college, having had to change his major so that he could graduate from there since George and his mom weren't going to pay for anything else. Greg was eighteen and in his third semester at Wirt's school; he had graduated not this past January but the one before that, just in time to start his spring semester. Neither of them were working and Greg was the only one of the two of them who had a car, a present given to him by George for graduating early. That was before he was informed that Greg wouldn't be leaving Wirt behind to go to some prestigious college elsewhere. They still lived at home…

At least, for now they did. When George and their mom find out that he's pregnant, Wirt's as good as dead, for real this time. Bad enough that he was the family's first omega, a shame in and of itself; bad enough that he was mated to Greg, his own brother and their favored son; now, he pregnant with Greg's child. If that didn't get him murdered, then he'd be out on the streets. And it was February, which meant it was still cold and it still got dark early.

Wirt was screwed. He was so, so screwed. Greg wasn't even who he was worried about telling the most, even though the thought of telling Greg still scared him. It was George's reaction that terrified him and he didn't think he could be blamed for that. Tears welled up in his eyes and they weren't full of joy and happiness.

What was he going to do? What were he and Greg going to do? Pushing his hair out of his eyes, Wirt stood up and grabbed the box the pregnancy test came in. Shoving the stick into it, Wirt crunched it up and held it down at his side to keep it out of sight before leaving the bathroom. Quickly, he made his way to Greg's room and crept silently inside, closing the door behind him.

Greg was downstairs finishing dinner with their mom and George; Wirt had excused himself because his stomach had been testy. At least, that was what he told them and it wasn't entirely a lie. Mostly, he just wanted to take his test. Truth be told, Wirt probably would have never even taken it had Mabel, one of his fellow classmates and a friend of his and Greg's, not suggested it. Having little to no shame, she even bought the test for him, which embarrassed Wirt and Dipper, her twin brother, to no end.

Even though she had bought it for him, Wirt had no intention of taking it, thinking it was just a flu or stomach bug or something. Then, it started eating away at him, creeping into his mind ever so slowly until he couldn't take it anymore. Now, he had the answer to why he was feeling so run down for the past few weeks now. Briefly, he was thankful for Mabel and Dipper being in his life; if they weren't, he probably wouldn't have known until he started to show.

But now, he knew.

Wirt sat down on Greg's bed, pregnancy test still in hand. His heart was beating madly and his head was pounding. He felt hot and cold all at once. It hadn't sunk it just yet, though; he still felt stunned and shocked, as though it wasn't real just yet. Minutes ticked by and eventually he heard Greg coming up the stairs. The door opened and Greg stepped inside, shutting it behind him.

"Hey, Wirt, do you-" Greg began and then stopped when he turned to face him. At first, he looked confused and he asked, "Wirt, why are you crying?"

Oh, he was crying? He hadn't even noticed. Greg opened his mouth to say something else but stopped when he spotted what Wirt had in his hands. Slowly, he crossed the distance between them and sank to his knees in front of him. His hands covered Wirt's own and his eyes studied the test before they looked up at him.

"You're…you're…pregnant?" Greg asked, his voice sounding in awe. Wirt bit his bottom lip and he nodded. That was when he finally felt the tears drip off of his jaw.

A wide and happy smile spread across Greg's face and he gathered Wirt into his arms, holding him tightly, securely. His addictive laughter resounded throughout the room and Wirt found himself clinging to his mate, his body wracked with sobs as he cried. Greg probably thought he was crying out of happiness and not fear. How he wished he were; how he wished that all of their major milestones were covered in happiness and hope instead of fear and uncertainty.

"Wirt, you're so incredible," Greg said and pulled back enough to pepper kisses on Wirt's face. He stopped when he looked at Wirt, actually looked at him and saw that his face was contorted in sadness. "What's wrong? You're…not…happy?"

"Greg…Greg…" he croaked and wiped his eyes with his hands. "Your dad…is going to…to…to kill me!" He began crying, his sobs loud as he gasped for breath, his body shaking violently. Greg's arms tightened around him once more and he felt his mate's chin rest on his head.

"No, he's not! He won't! He hasn't ever since he tried to choke you, has he?" Greg asked him. Wirt shook his head. It was true; George hadn't laid a single hand on him since then, but that didn't mean that he wouldn't do it. He had once and he could again.

"Oh, Greg…. What…what are we gonna d-d-do?" Wirt sobbed as he clung to the younger man.

"We'll get ready for our baby, of course," Greg said, though it was said half-heartedly. He was worried, that much was clear.

"George will…kick us…out," Wirt groaned.

Greg didn't say anything for a long time. He just held Wirt and rubbed his back soothingly until he calmed down. Eventually, his tears subsided and his sobs turned into the occasional hiccup that caused his body to jolt. Still holding onto Greg as though he were a life line, Wirt listened to his heart beat and soaked up his warmth. Every so often, a tear would roll down his cheek and bleed into Greg's shirt. His face was blotchy and his eyes were puffy and red. If he hadn't felt miserable before, he sure as hell did now.

"Dipper and Mabel's uncle will let us stay with them. You were there when Stan told us we had a place to stay any time," Greg said at last.

Wirt couldn't help but release a laugh at that. He remembered it quite vividly because Uncle Stan was a rather grumpy and sarcastic man, so him offering them a couch to sleep on if they needed it had shocked him. Part of Wirt wondered if it was because he was an omega and Stan felt pity for him. Mabel and Dipper knew how George treated him; perhaps they had told their uncle about it? He couldn't say for sure on that one, but he could say that he hadn't been expecting the offer at all.

"Y-yeah. But Greg…we won't be able to stay there forever," Wirt said, his voice rough and scratchy, his throat sore. It didn't help that he had thrown up earlier that morning.

"I'll get a job. You know that I was offered a position in Finances at Snyder's Pretzels not too long ago. Good thing I went to that job fair, huh?" Greg said.

"You don't like paper work," Wirt pointed out. Greg gently pulled him back and took his face in his hands, his thumbs clearing away the few tears that would tumble down every so often.

"No sane person does. But I'm willing to take it if it means getting us our own place and getting us out of here," Greg told him. "Besides, I can always advance in the company, so it's not like I'd be stuck in one place for eternity."

"You shouldn't be the only one working. I can get a job. The café in the food court is hiring," Wirt said. Greg chewed on the inside of his cheek.

"Are you sure? I mean, you're pregnant and a full-time student," he said.

"I can handle it. It wouldn't be fair for you to be the only one working," Wirt replied. "What about school, Greg?"

"I'll quit," Greg stated matter-of-factly.

"But…but Greg," Wirt said and was cut off by his mate.

"It's not like I like school and if it means that you'd be safe and our baby would be safe, then it's a no brainer. And we'd be free to do what we want and not have to worry about Mom and Dad," Greg said.

"I…I don't know about this. It's…it's a lot to take in," Wirt mumbled.

"It'll be okay, Wirt. Don't worry too much. I can take care of you. Just…let me," Greg practically begged him and found that he couldn't protest anymore, couldn't say no. When it came down to it, it was Greg's choice. If he wanted to quit school and work, then Wirt didn't have a right to stop him.

"I love you, Greg," Wirt said and he smiled a little, earning a smile in return.

"I love you too, Wirt," Greg kissed his forehead, then his nose, and finally his lips.

Closing his eyes, Wirt returned his kiss and moaned softly. He felt Greg's hands travel down his body until they grasped his thighs. Then, he was being lifted into the air suddenly and placed gently on the bed. Laughing softly, Wirt pressed kiss after kiss to Greg's lips as their clothes began to melt away, leaving them bare and naked on Greg's bed. The loud groan that escaped him when Greg entered him was suffocated in their kiss.

He hadn't pictured this happening tonight, not after he found out he was pregnant, but feeling Greg inside of him, above him, all around him, made him feel at ease. Wirt let all of his worry and fear and sorrow go as he and Greg made love. Pleasure overwhelmed him and drowned him until he could no longer tell where he ended and Greg began. His arms held onto Greg, kept him close, while his lips met each and every one of his mate's kisses. When he came, it was glorious, his body arching so violently that he pictured himself snapping in half. Not a moment later, Greg's seed filled him, so much so that some seeped out and trickled down his thighs, coating him in a way that made him feel filthy and it was delicious.

Wirt fell asleep wrapped in Greg's arm, feeling safe and secure and loved.

 **~…~**

"Of course you two can crash at our place! Grunkle Stan won't mind one bit," Mabel practically squealed.

Greg and Wirt had just told her and Dipper about his pregnancy and Wirt felt some relief at how accepting they were. It never ceased to amaze him how the two of them and Stan were so accepting of him and Greg. He wasn't used to it, but Wirt was starting to realize that not all alphas and betas were like their mom and George. That was why he liked Mabel and Dipper so much; he could tell them that he killed someone and they'd be totally okay with that. Not that he would ever kill anyone, but it was nice to know he'd have support.

"He's the one who said you two were welcome. I just hope George doesn't make things too hard on you," Dipper commented, his last sentence aimed more at Wirt than Greg. "If you need us to be there, just let us know."

"Yeah! We can come and pick you guys up! It wouldn't be a problem. I'll even deck the guy if he tries to pull anything," Mabel added. Her enthusiasm made Wirt laugh.

"I don't think that'll be necessary, Mabel," Wirt said, "But thank you."

"I can take care of my dad if he tries to pull anything," Greg said, the arm around Wirt's shoulders tightening just so.

"Oh, I know you can, but you might need a wing man. And Greg, I can be that man," Mabel said.

"Um, not sure that's how it works, but okay," Dipper said. Mabel punched his arm and he winced, rubbing it tenderly.

"Thank you, both of you, for…everything," Wirt said and he felt a swell of love and gratitude in his heart for them both. He blamed his constant mood swings on his pregnancy.

"It's not a problem, seriously. You're our friends and we want to help," Dipper replied, giving them a reassuring smile.

It had been almost two weeks since Wirt had found out he was pregnant and although he had told the twins about it the day after finding out while at school, he and Greg had just asked them if Stan's offer for a place to stay was still on the table. He did feel bad for bothering them, but Wirt hoped it wouldn't be for very long.

Greg had inquired about that position at Snyder's last week and he was scheduled for an interview tomorrow around three. Wirt had put in an application at the café, the Ragged Edge, earlier in the week and he was anticipating a call sometime next week. Things looked hopeful, but he was still doubtful. Something in his gut told him that something was wrong; he just didn't know what.

"Wirt? Wirt? Are you okay, Wirt?" Greg asked him, shaking his shoulders gently. Wirt blinked a couple of times and looked up to see a worried set of eyes staring at him.

"I'm fine. Just tired," Wirt responded, giving him a tiny smile.

"You should get some rest. A pregnant omega needs all of the rest they can get. Bearing a child takes a lot out of you," Dipper said as he and Mabel stood up, gathering their bags and books.

"Rest sounds like a good idea," Wirt said and he and Greg followed the twins out of the food court and into the parking lot.

"Just give us a call if you need anything, and I mean anything. Ice cream, pickles, chocolate, whatever," Mabel said as she gave Wirt a hug.

"I'll be fine. Greg pretty much has everything covered," Wirt joked.

"I can believe it," Dipper said as he and Greg fist bumped. He shared one with Wirt before they parted ways and said their good-byes.

Silence accompanied them on their way home, a comfortable silence. Wirt felt as though he were about to fall asleep any second. It had been a long day and all he wanted was to get something to eat, shower, and go to bed. Cuddling with Greg as he fell asleep sounded incredible to him and he looked forward to it.

"You okay, Wirt?" Greg asked him again. Wirt nodded as they got out of the car.

"Same as the last time, Greg," Wirt replied.

They quickly crossed the walkway and entered the house. As soon as they stepped inside, the first thing both Greg and Wirt see are two full duffle bags, George's, lying on the floor in front of them.

"Greg. Wirt," their mom said, her voice sounding strained and hoarse, as though she had been crying. George stood up from his chair and strode over towards them with her following closely behind. As she got closer, Wirt could see that yes, she had been crying.

"What's going on, Mom?" Greg asked. George answered him by holding up the pregnancy test box. All of the color drained from Wirt's face and he felt Greg's body tense in front of him.

"Your mother found this in your trash bin, Gregory," George ground out, his mouth a thin line, a vein popping out on his forehead, and his eyes flashing dangerously. They moved from Greg to Wirt and he cringed. Instinctively, his hands reached out and took hold of the back of his mate's shirt, clinging to him tightly.

"So," George growled threateningly. "You're pregnant." It wasn't a question, but a statement and all Wirt could do was nod, eyes downcast, avoiding all contact.

George looked like he was about to erupt violently, like a volcano. He opened his mouth and closed it a few times before he raked a hand through his already messy hair. And then, his gaze settled back on Wirt and Greg.

"Take your bags and get out of my house," he stated simply, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Just get out.

"George!" their mom sniffled, peering up at him with tear filled eyes.

"No. I want them gone and they will be gone. Now, get out. Go wherever you want; do whatever you want, but don't you dare step foot in this house again," George said.

"Fine. Be that way. We're happy to go," Greg said and he bent down and picked up both duffle bags. He backed up slowly, letting Wirt go out the door first. Before he was even out of the house entirely, the door shoved him the rest of the way and slammed shut behind them so hard that one of the panes of glass in the circular window fell out and broke.

Wirt got into the passenger seat while Greg placed both bags into the backseat. After he got behind the wheel and closed the door, Greg locked the doors and turned to Wirt, looking both concerned and angry.

"Are you doing okay?" he asked. Wirt nodded.

"Yeah, yeah. It just…it hasn't sunk in yet," Wirt said.

"I know what you mean," Greg said. He hadn't turned the car on yet but both of his hands were grasping the steering wheel, his knuckles white from the effort. His mouth was in a thin line and Wirt was suddenly struck with the realization that Greg looked remarkably similar to George when he was angry, and there was no doubt that his mate was angry.

"Let's just go, Greg," Wirt suggested softly, placing a hand on Greg's right forearm. Greg sighed heavily and nodded.

Turning on the car, Greg backed out of the driveway and turned down the street, heading towards Dipper and Mabel's house. They were both silent on the way, still in shock, still letting it all sink in. Their world was crumbling around them; despite all of their talking, going through something like this was quite different, Earth shattering. Wirt felt like he was drowning, like his body was bound by rope and he was slowly and agonizingly dropping to the bottom on an ice cold lake. No matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't break free, he couldn't loosen the shackles that bound him.

"We're here," Greg said as he turned the car off. Wirt blinked several times and he saw that they were now parked at Dipper and Mabel's house. Both twins were coming out of the door, wearing identical expressions of concern and anger.

"It won't be so bad, Wirt," Greg tried to reassure him, grasping and squeezing his hand reassuringly and giving him a small, weak smile. "At least now we're free."

Free.

Free.

Wirt sat in the passenger seat, letting it sink in.

He was free.

Free from George.

Free from torment.

Free from suffering.

Free from hurtful words full of disgust and disdain.

Free from scorn and contempt.

Free.

Slowly, mechanically, Wirt got out of the car and returned the embraces he was given by both twins. Greg did all of the talking and even Stan came out of the house, his loud voicing turning angry as he was informed of what had happened.

Wirt hardly spoke a word, his mind going over what had happened and reciting Greg's words like a mantra. Even through the dark cloud that was encompassing his being, a ray of light, of hope, shone brightly through.

They were free.

 **~…~**

"Are you sure you don't want to stay longer? Like, forever?" Mabel pouted as Greg picked up Wirt's book bag with one hand. He laughed at her and hugged her one last time.

"I wish we could, Mabel, but Wirt and I both think that it's time to leave. After all, he'll be do in just a few weeks and your house isn't exactly big enough for a baby too," Greg replied. "Besides, we're both looking forward to being in our own place. It'll be nice, and you two can come over whenever you want!"

"Does this mean that I get a house key?" Mabel asked hopeful, her eyes shining.

"Actually, I'm the one with the house key," Dipper answered, walking up to her from the car where Wirt was. Heavily pregnant, he was already in the passenger seat, ready to go.

"Aw, but why?" Mabel whined.

"Because I'm the responsible one," Dipper said. He turned to Greg and asked, "Are you sure you're all set?"

"Yeah, we'll be fine. We may not have a lot of furniture, but we'll get there," Greg said. "At least we have the important stuff. And after next month, I'll be making more at the office, so we'll have a little bit more cushion."

"You guys have all of the baby stuff, right? Do you need anything else? We could help, you know," Mabel said in a rush.

"Nah, we're good. You two and Stan have done enough for us both already. Heck, if it weren't for Stan, we wouldn't have the stuff we have to begin with," Greg laughed and he smiled at them both, truly grateful.

"And you're all settled in and ready to go?" Dipper asked. Greg nodded.

"Yep. You guys were amazing. I can't thank you enough for helping us move in," Greg said.

"It's not a problem, really. Just let us know if you need anything, got it?" Dipper said.

"We will. Thanks! And see you later!" Greg waved and made his way to the car. After tossing the book bag in the back, Greg got behind the wheel and closed the door.

He waved again as they pulled out of the driveway and turned in the direction of the apartment building.

"So, ready to spend the first night in our new home?" Greg asked Wirt, reaching out and taking hold of his hand. Wirt gave him an excited smile and nodded.

"Oh, yeah, definitely. It'll be nice, having our own place," Wirt replied. "And quieter too." He chuckled at that and Greg joined him.

"Things finally seem to be going right for a change," Wirt added after a few minutes of silence. Greg rubbed his leg gently and patted it before he put his hand on the wheel to turn the car left.

"Yeah, life is pretty good right now," Greg said. Not too long after that, they were pulling into their parking space at the apartment building and Wirt sighed, feeling more confident than he had been previously.

"You know what, Greg? You're right. Life is pretty good right now. We finally have our own place, you're doing well at work, school is good, and our baby is almost here," Wirt said as he slung his book bag over his shoulder and grabbed one of the duffle bags out of the bag. One of the ones that George had had ready for them what seemed like an eternity ago.

"Speaking of our baby girl, have you thought of a name for her yet? You know I'm happy with whatever," Greg said. "Are you sure you got that?" he asked, pointing to the duffle bag.

"Greg, I'm pregnant, not helpless. I can carry a duffle full of your dirty laundry up two flights of stairs," Wirt replied. As they made their way into the small foyer of the building, he continued with, "And I plan on waiting until she's actually born to decide. I can't really choose a name until I see the baby's face. I want to make sure it suits her, you know?"

"That's a fantastic idea, Wirt! See? This is why you're the student and I'm the office worker," Greg told him.

"You're just as smart, if not smarter, than me, Greg," Wirt said. They began to climb the stairs. Thankfully, it was only two flights or else Greg would have taken both bags from Wirt regardless of how much he said he could handle. "I still think you shouldn't have quit."

"I can always go back, Wirt. It won't go anywhere," Greg laughed. "If I want to advance further in the company, I'll need to go back, but for right now, I just want to focus on work, you, and our baby."

"Okay, okay, you win," Wirt said with a laugh. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't win with Greg. His mate was more stubborn than he was.

"Yay! I'm a winner!" Greg cheered. They finally made it to the apartment and Greg unlocked and opened the door.

"Would you hurt me if I said, 'ladies first'?" Greg teased. Wirt pushed him playfully on his shoulder. Greg hardly even moved and he laughed as he followed Wirt into their apartment.

Wirt walked past the living room and kitchen and down the hall towards their bedroom while Greg closed the door and dropped his bags on the floor. Stretching and rolling his shoulders, he was about to pick them up again when his phone rang. Frowning, wondering who could be calling him, he pulled it out of his pocket and immediately groaned.

It was his dad.

Groaning in irritation already, Greg answered the phone.

"Hey, Dad," he said, trying his best not to growl. He wasn't sure how well he succeeded.

"So, I heard that you two have your own place now," his dad said. Greg thought he sounded off, weird, not like he had been towards the end of his and Wirt's stay at their old house.

"Yeah," was all Greg said in response.

"Has… _he_ given birth yet?" his dad asked.

"Not yet, no," Greg said, his voice clipped.

"I see," his dad replied.

"Why are you calling, Dad? To harass us or something?" Greg demanded. "Our child, _YOUR_ grandchild, will be born soon and you're just now contacting us after months of nothing?"

"Gregory-"

"No! Don't you 'Gregory' me, Dad! I don't understand why you don't like Wirt and I never will, but if you ever, EVER, want to see your grandchild then you will get over whatever your problem with him is," Greg ground out, his eyes narrowing as he glared at the kitchen floor. "If you can't at least be civil with him and courteous, then you won't have any kind of relationship with your grandchild. Do you understand me?!"

Before his dad could answer, Greg hung up on him and turned his phone on silent. Grabbing the bags, he stalked towards the bedroom and surprised Wirt by dropping them on the floor without a word.

"Greg? Greg, what's wrong? Is everything okay?" Wirt asked him. He had stopped sorting the clothes into their dresser and was gazing at him with worry laced on his features.

"Dad just called," Greg said.

"O-oh," Wirt mumbled softly.

"I told him that if he wanted to be part of our child's life that he was going to have to be civil to you at the very least," Greg said, crouching down and unzipping one of the bags.

"You…you did?" Wirt said, his voice soft. Greg nodded.

"Yep. I did," Greg said, taking out clothes by the handful and placing them on the bed.

"Okay then," Wirt said just as softly.

Eventually, the atmosphere returned back to calming and relaxed as it had been before. They continued working on straightening things out until all that was left were dishes that needed washed – which Wirt did – and dirty clothes – that Greg took down to the laundry room in the basement of the building. Neither one of them brought up the conversation Greg had with his dad for the rest of the night nor the days following. Eventually, it was forgotten by both of them.

 **~…~**

"Gr-Greg! GREG!" Wirt seethed through his teeth as he clutched his large stomach. Pain shot through him and Wirt dropped to his knees, the dishes in the sink forgotten. "GREG!"

He heard Greg run down the hall and into the kitchen.

"Wirt! Wirt, oh my, God!" Greg crouched down beside him, concern etched on his handsome face.

"It's….time," Wirt managed to get out before he hissed as another sharp, excruciating labor pain wracked his body.

"Right. Right, I'll…I'll get the bag and…and we'll…we'll go," Greg quickly dashed to their bedroom and came back seconds later with a packed bag slung over his shoulders. After grabbing his keys, Greg knelt down and helped Wirt stand up.

"Do you need me to carry you?" he asked. Wirt started shaking his head, but another pain caused his knees to buckle and he cried out loudly. Suddenly, he was lifted up into Greg's arms and they were leaving the apartment.

It seemed like an eternity before they had finally arrived to the hospital. Wirt felt as though he were dying and he wanted nothing more than to get their child out of him _NOW_. He couldn't stop the screams and cries he would emit whenever pain shot through him and he was panting and sweating before they even made it to the hospital. Squeezing his eyes shut, Wirt gripped the back of the car's seat tightly as he tried to get through the pain without dying.

When they got to the hospital, Greg ran inside, leaving Wirt behind, tears flowing down his cheeks and his body writhing in pain and anguish. Nurses came out with a wheelchair and before he knew it, he was being whisked away from the car and down the hall of one of the hospital wings.

Wirt couldn't think; he could barely do anything aside from pant, scream, and clench his fists with each and every contraction. His mind went blank and everything expect the pain and his own screams were drowned out. Voices and people around him sounded and looked hazy, as though they were being filtered and all Wirt knew was pain. It was awful, the worst he had ever experienced in his life. Not even his heats could compare to this God awful agony.

How long he was there, he had no idea. What Wirt did know was that after what seemed like endless hours upon hours, his mind blacked out, his vision blacked out, and everything went quiet.

 **~…~**

When Wirt came to, he felt like he had been hit by a truck. The first thing he noticed was that he no longer had a large belly. Blinking blearily through the haze and fog that was clouding his vision, the second thing he saw was a nurse holding a bundled up blanket. Only it wasn't just a bundled up blanket, he realized; it was his newborn baby.

"Wirt! You're awake," came Greg's voice from beside him. The nurse looked up and smiled at him before approached.

"Glad to see you're awake. Would you like to hold your baby girl?" she asked. Wirt nodded and opened his arms to receive his baby girl. She was placed in his arms and as Wirt stared down at her, he fell in love.

She was beautiful, breathtaking, so tiny and seemingly fragile, her face pink and her cheeks chubby. Wirt smiled tenderly down at her as he stared. Greg stood up and crossed the mere inches that separated them. Kissing Wirt's head, a hand running through his sweaty hair, he gazed down at their daughter.

"Isn't she beautiful?" Greg asked him. "They had to do a C-section, but she's finally here."

"She's more than beautiful, Greg," Wirt replied, his smile widening as she gurgled softly, shifting just so in her blanket. "You positively gorgeous, aren't you, Beatrice?" Greg looked at him, surprised at first and then happy and excited.

"Beatrice?" he said. Wirt nodded again.

"Beatrice."

Beatrice it was.

 **~…~**

"Excited to be going home?" Greg asked, smiling. Wirt nodded and gently rocked Beatrice in his arms.

"Oh yeah. After four days in the hospital, I'm ready to go home. I can't wait to see Beatrice in her crib. She'll look so cute in those outfits Mabel got her," Wirt gushed, unable to stop himself. He was allowed to be excited, he figured. It wasn't everyday he gave birth to a perfect baby girl like Beatrice.

"Greg? Wirt?" One of the nurses entered the doorway and called to them. "You have visitors."

They both looked at each other, wondering who the visitors were. Dipper and Mabel were coming by later that evening even though they had both been in to see them numerous times during their stay at the hospital. It wasn't until the nurse stepped aside that they found out who their unexpected guests were. Their mom and George.

Their mom was teary-eyed and in awe as she stepped into the room. George looked out of place and awkward, but he wasn't glaring and he wasn't saying anything mean or cruel. Yet.

"Oh, Wirt. She's beautiful," their mom said as she approached the bed.

"Her name's Beatrice," Wirt said softly. Greg stepped closer to him as George crossed the room.

"I…uh…I was…wrong, Wirt," George said at long last. Wirt was in shock. George had never been the type of person to willingly admit that he was wrong. "About a lot of things."

Wirt nodded, not trusting himself to speak. It would take a lot of time for him to forgive George, but it wasn't something he was going to give up on. For Beatrice's sake, at least.

"She really it beautiful," George said.

Wirt turned back to his daughter and smiled softly down at her.

Maybe things were going to turn out alright in the end. Only time would tell.


End file.
